October: pizza/ compost bucket returns/ fall pests

Hi all,

I'm getting excited for our Fall Pizza Potluck this Saturday! RSVP here if you plan to attend
On the menu: homemade pizza dough, tomato sauce from the garden, caramelized garden onions, pickled garden vegetables, and garden zucchini cake. Looks like the gardens will produce a nice green salad, a cucumber-tomato-and green bean salad, crispy broccoli, and for the pizzas: arugula, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, and leeks. The volunteer department has contributed 2 logs of mozzarella, but more cheese would be a good thing to bring. I hope to see you there!

Bucket Returns
Also, a reminder that if you borrowed buckets from me to transport compost to your garden plot, please return them! Our next compost giveaway is on Thursday, Oct. 10 and I'm short a lot of buckets. I don't have any others, so please return them by Tuesday the 8th. Thank you!

Plot Checks
Finally, fall plot checks are coming up at the end of the month. Make sure you've removed any plants that are making seeds or flowers and cleaned up dead/ end of season plants. This will help reduce pests as well.

Fall garden pests
Has your garden been decimated by critters this fall? You're not alone, unfortunately. I lost a whole crop of beets to an unknown raider- rat? raccoon? They worked around the radishes and turnips and didn't eat the beet tops, either. Many crops are also being affected by root maggots- different species of fly attack different crops, but almost all crops are susceptible: radish, carrot, Brassicas, turnip, onions... Or maybe your new plantings were all nibbled by meadow voles. All of these can feel so defeating. For me, it makes me so thankful and appreciative of the organic farmers out there who manage to grow all the beautiful vegetables that show up in the weekly farmers market on Clement Street.

What can you do?

• Try planting things pests don't love. Arugula, chard, leeks, and bitter greens are a good start.
• Use floating row cover to keep out the flies that lay eggs that become root maggots.
• Rotate crops in your plot.
• Spray beneficial nematodes that prey on the root maggots.
• Fashion some exclusion cages out of 1/4" hardware cloth to cover smaller plants.

Root maggots

Fall Plot Checks/ Reminders: compost giveaway and pizza RSVP

Fall is just around the corner. I'll be doing the seasonal plot checks during the last two weeks of October. Please make sure your plots are tended, bolting plants are pulled or cut back, and it generally looks like you are using the garden bed. If I sent you a reminder in July this is a good time to make sure you've taken care of the issue. 

10/21- Ft Scott
10/22- MacArthur and Portola
10/24- Lendrum
1029- South Baker Beach and West Washington
1031- Baker Beach

Garden supplies:
A reminder that I'll have buckets of compost available this Wednesday- you can find me and the compost at the Ft Scott Community Garden. You can borrow the 5 gallon buckets, as long as you bring the buckets back after adding the compost to your garden bed. Non seed-free straw is also available for winter mulching needs (just be prepared to pull any grass-like seedlings that might grow from it)

Wednesday, September 18, 4-7pm
Thursday, October 10, 2-7pm
Monday, October 28, 2-6pm


Need to order seeds? One of the places we order from is having a sale until 9/22:
Peaceful Valley Farm

Community Building:
The Fall Harvest Pizza Potluck will be on Saturday October 5, from 11am-3pm. The oven will be ready to start making pizzas around noon. Please bring a potluck dish to share, pizza toppings, beverages, and your own plates, forks etc. I'll have homemade dough, sauce, and any veggies available in the gardens. Please RSVP by October 1

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Compost giveaways/ Fall Pizza Potluck

Hello Presidio Community Gardening friends,

I hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Our harvests have been going strong, and the new edible flower beds are wildly productive. 

We've been working our way around to the neighborhood community garden sites to weed and mulch with the monthly Garden Stewards program. Coming up we'll be at Baker Beach #2 on 8/22 and Baker Beach #4 on 9/26- come out and help out (or make sure to weed your paths before we get there!)

edible flowers

I've also seen a lot of Pacific chorus frogs in the garden plots- how cool!


As summer crops are harvested, you may want to think about planting for fall and winter harvests. August is the last reliable month for lots of crops: brassicas, beets, lettuce, kale, and chard. September starts favas and spinach, and is the end of radish, turnip and mustard green planting times. Thinking about planting garlic in October? Now is a good time to pre-order seed garlic.

Every time you plant, it is best to add compost! Turn it in before planting, or top-dress as the plants grow. If you can't get compost from me, local garden centers sell it bagged.

I'll have some buckets of compost available for you a few times this fall- you can find me and the compost at the Ft Scott Community Garden. You can borrow the 5 gallon buckets, as long as you bring the buckets back after adding the compost to your garden bed.

Monday, August 12, 2-7pm
Monday, August 19, 2-7pm
Wednesday, September 18, 4-7pm
Thursday, October 10, 2-7pm
Monday, October 28, 2-6pm

Finally, the Fall Harvest Pizza Potluck will be on Saturday October 5, from 11am-3pm. The oven will be ready to start making pizzas around noon. Please bring a potluck dish to share, pizza toppings, beverages, and your own plates, forks etc. I'll have homemade dough, sauce, and any veggies available in the gardens, along with a green salad. Please RSVP by October 1

For a great place to learn more, check out Garden for the Environment